A Chance on Earth
by xbleeple
Summary: Galactica and her crew have finally found Earth, and the Adama family begins the fleet's settlement on the new planet. Sequel to A Chance on Caprica, A Life on Caprica, and A Life on Galactica.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to everyone who has been following this series! I think this will be the last part as the Adama family makes their way to Earth :)

* * *

Laura smiles discreetly as she feels Bill's hand smooth up her back under the covers. She rolls over towards him and cracks open an eye.

"Hi there."

"Hi, how did you sleep?" Bill asks as his hand moves to her front, stroking up her stomach before cupping a breast in his palm. Laura hums and arches into his touch as her eyes slip closed again.

"Best frakking sleep of my life. How long was I out?" She asks in a quiet whisper.

"About 18 hours."

"Gods," Laura moans in response as he squeezes her breast. Bill presses a kiss to her neck as he holds her close.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Bill murmurs, "I couldn't stand seeing you like that."

"You found me Earth," Laura comments as she reaches up to cup his cheek, "What did I miss?"

"You have a phone call with the President in a couple hours. Two raptors left earlier this morning for the surface."

"Have we heard back from them?"

"Mmhm, they got there safe and they are making arrangements for us to come down. Start negotiations for getting the rest of the fleet down there."

"When?"

"Couple days," Bill says sitting up with an exasperated look on his face. Laura giggles and grabs him by his dogtags, pulling him back down and kissing him hungrily before pulling back and pressing a kiss to his nose.

"Sorry, I'll stop talking."

"Oh you can keep talking," Bill tells her as he kisses her lips gently, "Just not about work."

"Mmm, yes, Admiral," Laura grins as she captures her husband's lips in a hungry kiss. She dutifully sinks back into the bed as he climbs on top of her. Her hands slip up his back under his tanks as her body arches into his. Bill's mouth moves down to her neck and he bites playfully at the sensitive skin, pulling a gentle moan from Laura's mouth, "Kids?"

"At lunch," Bill replies against her skin, sitting up a moment to push her t-shirt up and off. Laura pushes a hand against his chest as he attempts to move back down.

"Tanks too," She demands. Bill laughs and tugs his tanks off, tossing them to the side along with her shirt. Laura's hand strokes over his chest and up into his hair, pulling him back down against her, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you," Bill replies, pressing his lips gently against hers, "I love you so much, Laur."

"I love you too, Bill," Laura replies, swallowing her tears back, "I love you so frakking much."

"Don't cry," Bill whispers, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Laura laughs and presses her lips to his palm.

"I'm just thinking about how I'm going to beat this anniversary gift."

"Anniversary gift?" Bill asks. Laura reaches up and indicates the calendar hanging behind their bed. He looks up and notices the date her finger points to, "Hmm...seems it is our anniversary."

"You forgottttt," Laura sing songs.

"You know most wives are generally angry when the anniversary is forgotten."

"Well, Mr. Adama. I am not most wives."

"No you certainly are not, Mrs. Adama," Bill comments as he presses his lips to hers, bringing her hand back down. Laura hums and kisses hims back hungrily, rocking her hips up against his. Bill languidly presses kisses down her body, taking a moment to remind himself of her tantalizing curves. He tugs her underwear down her long legs as his lips press gently to the inside of her thigh, reveling in the soft skin he finds there, "You smell so good."

Laura moans and lets her thigh drop to the side slightly. Bill's mouth moves north and he drags his tongue against her, tasting her wetness. He circles the tip of his tongue around her clit before dragging it back down her entrance. Laura threads her fingers in his hair and groans, rocking her hips in time with his tongues movement. Before she can reach the brink she pulls him away, dragging him back up her body.

"Get up here, mister."

"Aye aye," Bill smiles. He kisses Laura gently before they both work at getting his pants off. Laura tangles her legs with his once they both are naked, moaning as she feels him at her entrance. Green eyes latch on to blue and both darken as they move together, her legs tightening as his hips thrust. Bill grabs her hand from his shoulder, threading their fingers together as he presses their conjoined hands into the pillow above her head. Laura's mouth drops open, letting out soft gasps as she stares back at him, unable to look away.

"I want a thousand more years with you," Laura whispers, her thumb stroking over Bill's, "And even then it won't be enough."

"It'll never be enough," Bill replies, skimming his lips down her forehead and nose, capturing her lips with his, "But I have you now."

"You'll always have me," Laura whimpers. Her back arches into Bill and she cries out his name on a long moan. Her legs tighten around his waist, crushing him to her as she lets go. Bill squeezes the hand in his grip and he whispers her name in her ear. Laura manages to worm her hand out of his grasp, wrapping her arms around his body, holding him close as she presses soft kisses to his jaw, "My heart and soul."

"I'm going to crush you," Bill murmurs after a moment.

"A great way to go," Laura smiles. Bill laughs and rolls over, pulling her with him so she's astride his chest. He rubs his hands up her back before wrapping his arms around her entirely.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Laura murmurs, her eyes closing as she rests her head on Bill's chest, "You found me Earth."

* * *

Laura sighs as she sits on the couch and watches a seamstress pin and fold one of her skirts to be taken in for Aurora. Even though it had been close to four years since they'd made their fateful trip to Galactica, it just seemed like yesterday, except for when she looked at her daughter. Over the years the girl had sprouted up considerably and based on how often Laura was trying to find clothes to fit her lately, it showed no signs of stopping.

"What do you think about the length?" Laura snaps out of her musing, looking down as the seamstress folds the hem to sit an inch above Aurora's knees. She nods and smiles.

"I think that's perfect."

"I can have this done by tomorrow morning, and I'll have that dress then too."

"Thank you again for doing all of this."

"It's no problem at all." Aurora undresses from the skirt and puts her fleet sweatpants back on before thanking the woman. Laura shows her out before closing the hatch. She walks back to the room to find Aurora curled up in Bill's desk chair with a book open in her lap, chewing at her thumb as she reads.

"What are you reading?" Laura asks as she approaches the desk.

"History of the Colonies part three," Aurora answers, not looking up from the book until she finishes her chapter.

"How were the first two?"

"Good," Aurora smiles, "Um…the words are starting to get a little blurry. I kinda have to squint to keep them in focus. I thought it was maybe from reading too much but…"

Laura frowns and tips her daughter's chin up, looking into her green eyes.

"How long?"

"A month?" Aurora shrugs, "It's not bad."

"We'll have to see if we can see an eye doctor down on the surface. Gods know my prescription could probably use an update," Laura smiles and lets Aurora go. Aurora wraps her arms around her knees as she looks up at her mother.

"Do you think they're going to let us live down there?"

"I won't take no for an answer," Laura assures her daughter, "I don't know how long it's going to take, or what we're going to have to agree to, but we're staying here."

"Good," Aurora smiles. Laura turns her attention from her daughter as she hears the hatch open, smiling at Bill as he guides the boys inside, directing them over to the table before setting down the meal trays that were in his hands. Laura presses a kiss to Alex's head before Liam's then pressing a kiss to Bill's lips, murmuring a quiet greeting before sitting down at the table, pulling Alex into her lap as she pulls a couple trays over. Aurora takes a seat across from them and grabs her own tray. Her nose wrinkles as she pokes at the algae food with a fork, "I hope they have non algae based food down there."

* * *

[TBC]


	2. Chapter 2

Note: This fic is going to have a mild West Wing crossover in it, but I've fudged with the characters and timelines a bit.

* * *

"You two sit your butts down on the couch and don't move a finger until I tell you!" Laura snaps at the boys from the head as she once again hears a stack of books tumble onto the ground.

"Told you," Aurora grumbles as she sits in Bill's chair, reading. The two boys take their seats on the couch, continuing to tussle with each other. Laura steps out of the head and narrows her eyes at her sons.

"What did I just tell you?" The boys snap away from each other, resting their hands on their laps. Laura keeps an eye on them for a moment before returning to the bathroom. She comes out a couple moments later and grabs a pair of heels, pulling them onto her feet.

"Aurora, where did Dad go?" Laura asks.

"He was going to the CIC real quick, should be back soon," Aurora says looking up from her book.

"Alright, let's go," Laura ushers the kids, getting the boys up off the couch before taking Aurora's book from her and putting it on the desk. Aurora stands and straightens out her skirt before following her mother out the hatch, keeping her brothers trapped between them. The four of them navigate the familiar corridors, finding Bill on his way back before continuing to the flight deck.

"You look nice," Bill tells Laura as he walks along side her.

"Thank you, managed to trade out some things for a new dress. It's probably one of the least worn items of clothing in the fleet. I'm surprised it's made it this long," Laura comments as she smoothes out the cream fabric, "Figured it probably presented better than any of my other outfits."

"You ready for this?"

"I don't think so," Laura says, carefully walking down the steps to the flight deck before grabbing both of the boys and setting them down next to her. Their pilot salutes both of them before opening the wing door. Bill offers a hand to Aurora before lifting the boys up and putting a hand on Laura's waist as she climbs up. He follows the four of them inside, taking the co-pilot seat. Aurora buckles into her seat, pulling Liam into her lap and holding onto his hands as Laura does the same with Alex.

Lee, Kara, and Zak had been on surface with a contingency of other soldiers and fleet members since they had found the planet the week before. Today they were making their first trip down, ready to start negotiations to get their people on the ground and start their new life. Laura runs her fingers gently through her son's thick auburn hair, kissing his head softly. For the first time since they had landed at the new planet she finally felt like it was over. She watches out the window as they break atmosphere and glide over continents of green and brown, deep seas of ocean blue, more and more detail becoming visible until they land on an air strip next to the other two raptors that had been taken down.

Laura lets Alex down and Aurora lets Liam down before they both unbuckle and stand. Bill gets out of his seat as the wing door starts to open. Bill steps out first before holding a hand out to Laura. Laura takes his hand and climbs down, making sure the kids get down safely before smiling at Lee, Zak, and Kara as they stand at attention.

"At ease, soldiers," Laura directs with a grin before wrapping her arms around each of them, kissing their cheeks, "So where are we off to?"

"The hangar over here," Lee directs, pointing to the building off to the east before starting to lead the group, "The President is here with his wife and his youngest daughter, as well as an Admiral Fitzwallace, and some various staff members. After introductions we're going to the President's Residence. Dad, I believe that you are supposed to coordinate with the Admiral about getting Galactica landed."

"When was the last time a Battlestar actually 'landed' anywhere?" Laura asks, holding onto the boys' hands as they walk.

"Ah…they don't really. Even when they were built they were pretty much assembled in space on a docking station," Bill explains, "But I'm sure we'll be able to work something out. She's not gonna make another jump, might as well land her."

Bill wraps his arm around Aurora, squeezing her, "When did you get so tall?"

"Yesterday," Aurora grins. Bill laughs and shakes his head as they enter the hangar. Laura regards the people waiting for them, quietly talking amongst themselves. Her heels clack gently through the hangar, a sharp contrast to the thud of the fleet issued boots everyone else was wearing. Once they are close enough Lee starts their introductions.

"Madame President, this is President of the United States Jed Bartlet, his wife, Abbey, daughter, Zoe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Percy Fitzwallace," Lee directs one way before going the other, "Mister President, President of the Twelve Colonies, Laura Roslin, Admiral of the Colonial Fleet, William Adama, and Aurora, Alex, and Liam Adama."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Madame President," Jed tells Laura, holding his hand out. Laura smiles and takes his hand, shaking it gently.

"It's great to finally meet you as well, Mister President," Laura replies, letting his hand go before shaking Abbey's, "Mrs. Bartlet."

"Madame President," Abbey responds with a warm smile. Laura smiles back before letting go. Bill quickly sizes Fitz up before offering a hand as well.

"Admiral."

"Admiral," Fitz replies, shaking Bill's hand curtly before letting it go.

"The motorcade is waiting to take us back to the White House. President and Mrs. Bartlet have been kind enough to open the residence to you while we're working on a solution to get the fleet settled."

"Of course, we appreciate you allowing us to impose," Laura says before they head towards the set of limos and town cars waiting. Laura looks over at Lee as they walk.

"The White House?"

"The Presidential residence," Lee clarifies with a smile, "Which is actually a giant white house, mansion...it's really nice."

"What do you really think of them?"

"I really like them. President Bartlet seems very willing to work with us. He's been very eager to talk to you. I think he knows things about us..."

"The Colonies?"

"Yeah. I don't know, it's just a feeling we've been getting," Lee shrugs.

"Do you mind taking the kids?" Laura asks, running her fingers through Liam's hair gently. Lee nods and thanks the secret service agent that opens the door for him, letting the boys climb inside before Aurora. Laura gets into the Bartlet's car, taking a seat across from the President as Bill slides in next to her. Her hand easily falls into his, their fingers tangling together as Laura's thumb strokes across his knuckles.

"How old are the kids?" Abbey asks.

"The kids? The boys are almost four, and Aurora just turned nine a couple months ago."

"Almost four, so you were pregnant when…"

"Yes, much to our surprise," Laura laughs.

"They're identical?"

"Mmhm," Laura nods, "And they definitely know how to use it to their advantage."

"And Lee and Zak?"

"A previous marriage, when Laura and I met the boys where in high school," Bill answers.

"So it's been quite the family affair on Galactica."

"Very much so," Laura agrees, looking out the window as they speed through the streets of DC, "This place…it's beautiful."

"Whenever you're up for it we can take a tour, take in the sights," Jed offers.

"Trust me, my husband would be elated to put his US history skills on display," Abbey jibes with a grin.

"I think I might take you up on that," Laura smiles, continuing to regard the passing scenery in silence. She squeezes Bill's hand as they pull up the long drive to the White House. All of a sudden in her mind they were on Caprica, making their way to Richard's for their first Colonial Day together. And in the blink of an eye they weren't. Caprica was gone, Richard was gone, and Colonial Day was probably going to be a thing of the past relatively soon. Once their car stops the door is opened.

Abbey and Jed exit before Bill and Laura slip out. Laura looks around in wonder, taking in the White House before turning towards the fountain, noticing the people gathered at the fence, taking pictures. Bill squeezes her hand, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Alright?"

"Yeah," Laura smiles reassuringly as she looks up at him. They quietly follow inside, taking in the distinctly American Colonial style of the house as they're all guided up to the residence.

"We thought the kids could take the Lincoln Bedroom, and you and the Admiral could take the Queen's Room. Don't pay any attention to those names, they are complete BS," Abbey says as she directs the group towards the indicated bedrooms, "There are a few basic outfits and some toiletries on the beds, and if you're hungry, we can have the kitchen send something up that's not algae based."

"I see Kara complained about our food," Laura comments with a wry grin.

"I don't think I've ever seen a group of soldiers so excited about fresh vegetables," Abbey smiles, "I'll have the kitchen send something up. I've convinced Jed to give you a couple hours to settle in before the barrage of questions starts."

"Thank you," Laura smiles, starting to relax, "Thank you so much for everything."

"It's nothing, really. You have been through a lot. And it's the least we can do," Abbey reassures her, "We will get out of your hair. If you need anything, just grab one of the phones and the operator will get you whatever you need."

Laura nods and Abbey retreats, pulling the doors to the East Sitting Room Closed. She looks down at the boys and runs her fingers through Alex's hair.

"You two feeling a nap?" The boys nod in sync, their blue eyes already starting to droop. Laura looks over at her daughter. Aurora shakes her head before going to look out the window, her hand pressed against the glass. Laura picks up Liam and kisses his head before guiding Alex to the room they had been bestowed, finding two small stacks of little boys clothes on the foot of the bed along with two small toiletry bags, "How about a quick bath, hmm?"

The boys regard each other before looking up at Laura and nodding quietly. She smiles and grabs an outfit for the both of them along with the toiletries before nudging Alex towards the bathroom.

* * *

[TBC]


	3. Chapter 3

Later that evening Laura found herself seated across from the President, swirling a glass of red wine gently as she stared into it's depths. She stills her hand before bringing the glass to her lips and taking a small sip, humming gently as she swallows.

"Good?"

"It's been a long time since I've had anything that wasn't rotgut, let alone wine," Laura says with a small smile, taking another sip before setting the glass down on the coffee table between them, "But it reminds me very closely of my favorite Caprican Red."

"How has your first day down been?"

"I don't think overwhelming would describe it," Laura smiles as she crosses her legs, "It's just a lot of new experiences and old memories. At this point I don't know what I was expecting to find when we set out on this journey. A copy of Caprica? We would just pick up where we left off? How could I expect that of a tribe that's what...3000 years removed from the last time we had contact with them?"

"You were looking for home," Jed reasons with Laura. She shrugs slightly and sighs as her gaze flicks out the window again, "And home is an abstract thought."

"Abstract thought?"

"Home doesn't have to be a place. It can be a memory, a person, it can be whatever you want."

"What's yours?" Laura inquires softly as she turns her eyes back.

"Abbey, the kids, a cold fall night in New Hampshire."

"Sounds nice."

"I think it would be right up your alley. In the fall all the leaves turn different colors of gold and red, the air is crisp. We have a farm with some acreage. And part of it has a small cabin next to a lake. We go down there in the summer, kids go swimming, we have a bonfire...it's great." A small warm smile curls over Laura's lips as she listens to him.

"I think you're right," She agrees, grabbing her glass and taking another drink, "The plan for after the decommissioning was that Bill and I were going to retire for the most part, take Aurora and move up to our cabin in the woods north of Caprica City. It wasn't anything special, but it was on a lovely little pond, with water as clear as glass."

"Are you old enough to retire?" Jed smiles, a hint of flirtatiousness on his lips. Laura laughs and rolls her eyes, taking another drink.

"You're not being ageist are you, Mr. President?" Laura replies with a teasing lilt to her voice, "I had two administrations of being the Secretary of Education under my belt by that point so I had a pension coming my way, Bill has been in the service since he turned 18, and my family had money. I figured we would take advantage. Enjoy our kids, each other, just...enjoy being for once."

"It's a good plan. I wouldn't turn my nose up at it. Though I suppose once I'm out of here I don't have to do too much," Jed grins.

"No, I suppose you don't," Laura smiles, looking up as Bill comes into the sitting room, unbuttoning the top of his tunic, "Hey stranger."

"Hi," Bill rumbles, leaning down to kiss Laura. He takes her glass from her, taking a drink before sitting down, "Kids in bed?"

"Mmhm," Laura nods, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Fitz seems quite taken with you," Jed comments to Bill, "Especially the war stories you have to offer."

"It's quite refreshing to be able to talk shop again," Bill agrees, "He's also been very helpful coordinating."

"Good, unfortunately I would have been quite useless to talk to about getting your fleet actually physically landed here," Jed says before finishing his own glass of wine, "I do believe it's time for me to turn in. Is there anything else I can get you this evening?"

"No, thank you. You have been so helpful today," Laura assures with a smile.

"Alright, good night."

"Good night, Mr. President," Laura murmurs, watching him go before turning her eyes up to Bill, "Good day?"

"Mmhm, you?"

"Long, but yeah, good," Laura presses her lips to Bill's, "We should probably get some rack time in, I have a feeling we have quite a few long days ahead of us."

"Probably," Bill agrees, kissing Laura back before standing. He holds his hand out to her and helps her up, walking back towards the bedroom with her. Laura pulls him to the side and quietly opens the door to the kids' room. Aurora was sprawled out on one side of the bed and the boys curled up on the other, moonlight filtering through the curtains to light up the room in a soft glow. Bill rests his hand on her hip and his chin on her shoulder, watching the kids sleep along with her.

"Where did the time go?" Laura asks quietly.

"I don't know," Bill murmurs with a sigh.

"We spent so long on that godsdamn ship, but I look at them…and I see the babies that I rocked to sleep, and I feel like I've missed so much the last four years," Laura says, turning her head to look at Bill.

"You haven't," Bill assures her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, "Come on, let's go to bed."

"Yeah," Laura sighs, closing the door again before pulling Bill towards their room. Laura nudges the door shut with her foot, her fingers already pulling the zipper to her dress down. She steps out of the cream fabric after shrugging it off, draping it over a chair in the corner. Her feet flick her shoes under the chair as well before she flicks through the stack of clothes waiting for them, tugging out a cotton nightgown.

Laura reaches back and undoes the clasp on her bra, tossing the object on top of the dresser before tugging the nightgown over her head and going to the bathroom to find Bill. She practically groans as she sees him brushing his teeth furiously, white foam dotting his lips.

"Oh gods, is that toothpaste?" Bill nods and holds the tube out to her with another toothbrush. Laura rinses off the brush before putting a heaping dollop onto it's head, starting to brush. She leans her back against the sink as she works the brush over her teeth, working the paste into a foamy lather for quite a while. She turns around to spit, rinsing her mouth out with a few mouthfuls of water before scrubbing her hands over her face to wash away the little makeup she had on. Bill hands her a small towel after she turns the faucet off smiling as she dabs her face dry.

"Good isn't it?"

"It's practically heavenly," Laura replies, setting the towel on the counter with a small smile. She tugs Bill out of the bathroom and flicks the light off on the way, pulling him over to the bed. They both pull the covers back, tossing a couple of the decorative pillows to the side before climbing in between the sheets. Both of them let out groans of satisfaction as they sink into the soft plush, "I feel like we're going to look like complete buffoons at all of the little things we find enjoyable."

"I don't care, four solid years of sharing a single rack with you, and a lot of the time the kids, this bed is starting to make me believe in Elysium," Bill comments, his voice already starting to tire. Laura chuckles and turns off the lights before shuffling closer to him.

"Does that mean you don't want me all the way over here?"

"Not at all," Bill gruffs, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back to his chest. Laura hums happily before yawning as she settles in.

"Good."

"Night, Laur."

"Night, Bill," Laura murmurs, her eyes already drifting closed.

* * *

[TBC]


	4. Chapter 4

Bill wakes up in the morning, feeling a cold mattress next to him. He slips out of bed and pulls a pair of sweatpants on before going out to the sitting room in search of Laura, instead finding the kids watching TV and eating cereal with Zoey. Aurora looks up and smiles at her father.

"Morning."

"Morning. Where's your mom?"

"She went down to the gym," Aurora replies, shoveling another handful of cereal into her mouth, "Can I go to school with Zoey today?"

"I'll talk to your mom about it," Bill comments, ruffling her hair and smiling as she wrinkles her nose, showing that she had already asked Laura and not necessarily gotten a positive answer, "I'm going to go find her."

"Okay," Aurora comments, turning back to the TV. Bill presses a kiss to the boys' heads before trying to retrace his footsteps to the gym that they had been shown the previous day. He finds his wife jogging at a brisk pace on one of the treadmills, headphones plugged firmly in her ears. He comes around to her front, smiling as her eyes widen before she slams her hand down on the stop button. She smiles as she reaches up pulling the buds from her ears and resting them on top of the iPod on the panel.

"Morning."

"Morning, how long have you been up?"

"Um, little over an hour," Laura comments as she grabs a towel, wiping the sweat from her face and chest. She climbs down from the machine and walks over to a matted area, sitting down and starting to stretch.

"What were you listening to?" Bill asks as he sits down on a weight bench, watching her with interest.

"Music," Laura comments as she leans forward, slowly, "Zoey showed me this thing. I think it was called Pandora or something? Anyway, it's an app that curates radio stations for you based on likes and dislikes."

"Sounds interesting."

"It is. It's refreshing to listen to new music again," Laura smiles, sitting back on her hands, "Help me with my legs?"

"Your legs don't need any help," Bill comments as he stands before kneeling in front of her, reaching down to grab her leg as she offers her foot. He slowly stretches it up, leaning some of his weight into it. Laura hums in the back of her throat, letting out a long slow breath, "Ror said she wanted to go to school with Zoey. I presume by her nose wrinkling that she already asked you."

"I told her I would think about it," Laura responds, flexing her foot into Bill's shoulder as he presses further, "What do you think?"

"I think it's good that she wants to go. And if we're going to attempt some sense of normalcy, she probably should," Bill reasons, lowering the leg in his grasp before grabbing the other, repeating the same motions, "She'd be safe with Zoey."

"She'd be safe with Zoey's security detail, which is not our security detail."

"So send Marcus with," Bill replies, pushing a little further and pulling back as Laura groans, "Give me the other one again."

"Maybe you're right...we do need to start getting back into things," Laura agrees as she brings her other leg back up, sighing as he stretches both of them back.

"Might have to mark that one on the calendar. You admitted I might be right," Bill teases. Laura narrows her eyes at him and thunks him in the head with one of her feet. He laughs and lets her legs down before offering her a hand to sit up. Laura pulls herself up and tugs bill closer, pressing her lips to his gently.

"I love you, you know that?"

"I've heard it once or twice," Bill says with a small smile. He stands and lifts her up onto her feet, keeping his hands resting on her waist. Laura smiles up at him, a loving sparkle in her eyes. Bill leans down and captures her lips once again, "I love you."

Laura captures Bill's hand and walks back upstairs with him, not surprised to find their kids still watching tv. There hadn't been much of a chance to watch anything on Galactica, so they were soaking it up. Laura greets Abbey, who was sitting in one of the arm chairs reading the paper with a mug of coffee curled up in her hand.

"Morning, you two are certainly early risers."

"I think our sleep patterns could probably use a reset," Laura smiles, draping the towel over her shoulder, watching as Bill takes the kids' bowls from them and takes them into the kitchen, "Aurora mentioned possibly going to school with Zoey today."

"Yeah, if you guys are okay with it," Abbey nods, folding up the paper and sitting it in her lap as she looks up at Laura, "I know Zoey would love it. I talked to the school yesterday, they were fine with Aurora popping in as things get settled. And I think someone else is very interested."

Laura turns around seeing Aurora peaking over the back of the couch, watching the two of them talk. She sighs as she regards her daughter for a moment before nodding towards the bedroom.

"Go get dressed, you can go."

"Yes!" Aurora squeals, jumping off of the couch before racing over to Laura, giving her a hearty hug around the waist, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Zoey should have an extra uniform you can borrow," Abbey tells Aurora, a smile playing on her lips. Aurora lets her mother go before running off towards Zoey's bedroom, yelling out to let her know that Laura had said she could go. Laura laughs and shakes her head before looking back at Abbey.

"A Secret Service agent goes with her?"

"Mmhm. We can send an extra for Aurora unless you have someone in mind to send."

"Marcus," Laura offers, "He's been her guard the entire time we were on Galactica. She trusts him, I trust him."

"I'll have him sent over," Abbey assures, standing from her seat, "If my husband doesn't have you too busy today, maybe we could pick the kids up from school and do a little site seeing before dinner?"

"I think that sounds great," Laura smiles, "What time do they get out of school?"

"Around 2:30."

"I think that should be doable," Laura affirms, looking down as Alex tugs on her shirt, "Hey bubba."

"Do we gotta go too?" He asks, not letting go of the cotton in his grasp.

"Not today. Today you two get to hang out with me."

"Good," Alex smiles, letting go of his mother's shirt.

"Why don't you get your brother and go get changed, hmm?" Laura prompts. Alex nods and grabs his brother before they head off towards their room to get changed, holding his hand as they walk.

"They are too cute," Abbey comments, watching the boys as well. Laura nods in agreement before smiling as Bill passes by, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm going to go supervise, the might actually get into matching pants and shirts this time."

"Thank you," Laura calls after him as Aurora sprints back into the room, dressed in a blue and grey plaid skirt and maroon sweater. She holds a brush and hairtie up to her mother with a smile.

"What are we thinking today?" Laura asks as she sits down on the footstool of the chair Abbey had been sitting in.

"Braid?" Aurora asks, turning around. Laura runs her fingers through the waist length black hair before working the brush through a few times, eliminating all the tangles before she divides it into 3 swaths. Her fingers quickly twist Aurora's hair into a long braid, tying it off at the bottom before turning her around. Aurora swishes back and forth in the skirt with a grin, "What do you think?"

"I think you look adorable," Laura smiles pressing a kiss to Aurora's nose, tucking a couple stray hairs behind her ears, "Marcus is going to go with you, he knows how to get a hold of me if you need anything."

"Okay," Aurora smiles, wrapping her arms around Laura once more before Zoey comes out dressed in a similar uniform with her back pack, greeting her secret service agent with a smile.

"I'll be there to pick you up after," Laura says as she kisses Aurora's cheek, "Have a good day, okay? I love you."

"I love you too," Aurora replies, kissing her mother's cheek and running over to Zoey, waving at Marcus. Laura sighs as she watches them go before deciding she should probably get in the shower and get ready for the day. She arches her eyebrow invitingly at Bill as she crosses his path on the way to the bathroom.

"Care to join me?"

"Water conservation efforts?" Bill grins as the boys zip past in a blaze of yellow and denim, heading back to the tv.

"We're going to have to reign that in soon," Laura murmurs as she tugs him into the bathroom with her, flicking the lock with an expert hand as she turns the water on. She sheds her work out clothes before running her fingers under the spray to test the temperature. A grin spreads across her lips as she feels Bill's solid form at her back, his lips at her shoulder. Laura slips into the shower and tugs her husband in, her arms immediately wrapping around his form and her lips finding his as they find a home under the warm spray.

* * *

Laura sighs as she paces the Oval Office quietly, the boys were knelt at the coffee table coloring, quietly sharing the colored sticks back and forth as needed. She had spent most of the morning recounting the last four years to the President before he'd been pulled out by Leo. She pauses when the door to the office opens and Charlie steps in with a warm smile.

"The President wanted me to pop in and apologize that he's been a while," Charlie says, "He's getting ready to take lunch, if you guys want to follow me."

"Sure," Laura nods with a smile. She cleans the boys up and tucks their things away in one of their small backpacks, before guiding them to follow Charlie. He takes them up to the dining room in the residence and opens the door, letting them in.

"He is on his way up, and there's a menu on the table," Charlie explains, "Can I get you anything right now?"

"No, we're fine," Laura says, lifting the boys up into chairs as Charlie bows out of the room. She picks up the menu, looking at the food options as she brushes her fingers through Alex's hair. A few minutes later the President breezes into the room an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry for being so long," Jed apologizes.

"It's okay, I think it was a good break in our conversation," Laura assures him as she takes a seat across from him at the table. Charlie comes back in with his note pad asking what they wanted for lunch. Jed rattles off an order without looking at the menu before Charlie turns his attention to Laura.

"How about a couple grilled cheeses and some vegetables?" Laura suggests, "And a mixed green salad with salmon?"

"Sure. I'll let the cook know."

"Thanks Charlie," Jed says, smiling at the young man as he heads out of the room. He sets his hands on the table as he looks at Laura, "Again, I apologize for having to step out for so long."

"It's fine really," Laura smiles, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

"I appreciate you taking the time to talk me through your trip this morning. I suppose I should fulfill my end of this story."

"It'd be nice. You don't seem to be too surprised to find us here."

"I'm not. Since the 13th Tribe landed on Earth thousands of years ago, and gave up all of the technology they brought with them, it has been maintained that some day their brothers and sisters were going to come," Jed explains, "So from generation to generation it was handed down. As the years went on the tribe integrated into culture, and many forgot. As we began to form nations the keepers went from being tribal leaders to being nation heads."

"How many people know we existed?"

"Before you arrived?" Jed questions, "Fifty four."

"Fifty four people on a planet of seven billion," Laura points out.

"Yes. A mix of current and past dignitaries, scientists, military heads…people that needed to know and had the wherewithal to help once you did show up. Plans were drawn up and modified over the years as we advanced, as some relationships became strained…but there was always a plan," Jed assures her, "Admiral Fitzwallace has the go ahead to organize with Admiral Adama to get the fleet landed within the next few days. What we can do once they get here is get them off the ships. There is a camp being erected at Andrews and we will get them clothed, showered, fed, start documenting them. While we do that there will be a special meeting of the Council of Kobol."

"The Council of Kobol?"

"Not a name I came up with," Jed smiles. A staff member comes in with their lunch orders, serving the table before bowing out again, "But we'll bring you up to speed on the agreements that have been made, and hammer out the final details. There is a State Dinner this weekend. The Prime Minister of the UK is coming over early, he wants to meet you and he's probably one of the bigger supporters you have on the Council."

"Do people know about us?" Laura inquires.

"Not really. CJ, my press secretary, is setting up a press conference for tomorrow. That's when we'll break it," Jed tells her, "She'll probably come get you later this evening to prepare you."

* * *

[TBC]


	5. Chapter 5

Later in the afternoon, Laura sweeps Aurora into her arms as she comes running out of the school. She squeezes her close and kisses her head as she holds her.

"Hi my darling," Laura murmurs, "Did you have a good day?"

"I did! Everyone was really nice, and we learned a lot of stuff. And I got a new book."

"You did? What's it about?"

"It's about a queen who ruled an entire country thousands of years ago," Aurora smiles as she looks up at her mother. Laura smiles back and tucks a couple loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"That sounds fascinating, we'll have to read some of it tonight before bed," Laura tells her, "I missed you today."

"I missed you too," Aurora says, her eyes sparkling.

"Your brother's are in the car and Mrs. Bartlet was thinking that maybe we could do a little site seeing before we headed home, maybe get some ice cream?"

"Yeah!"

"Good," Laura smiles, walking Aurora to the car and thanking the agent that opens the door for them. Zoey and Aurora climb in before Laura and Abbey get in.

"How about ice cream first?" Abbey suggests, "Zoey's favorite place is right next to the mall and that's the perfect place to start our tour."

"Yeah!" The boys yell. Aurora and Zoey nod eagerly as well, echoing the same sentiment.

"I think ice cream first it is," Laura smiles. The boys press their faces to the glass of the limo, watching the city pass as they navigate through the streets. Laura reaches over and runs her fingers over Aurora's back as she turns her head to look out the window. The little girl turns to look at her mother, arching her eyebrow in question.

"How were your eyes today?" Laura asks quietly.

"They were okay," Aurora shrugs and smiles, "Most of the stuff we did today was up on the chalkboard, so I didn't have to concentrate as hard."

"That's good," Laura smiles, letting Aurora turn back around and turn her attention out the window.

"She needs glasses?"

"Probably," Laura replies as she looks away from the kids and across the back seat to Abbey, "Not a huge surprise considering both Bill and I wear glasses. She said things have been getting fuzzy when she's reading over the last month or so."

"I have a great optometrist that we can get her into," Abbey tells her, "Zoey loves him. I'm sure he could squeeze her in tomorrow for a quick exam."

"That would be great," Laura smiles, warmly. Soon the motorcade stops outside of a block of store fronts and the back door opens. Abbey steps out and Laura herds the kids out before slipping out herself. She shivers as a strong breeze sweeps by and wraps her coat a little tighter around herself as they make their way into the ice cream parlor. The servers behind the counter greet Abbey and Zoey by name, all ready to serve them. The kids all stand on their toes to look into the case, peering at all of the flavors beneath the glass.

"What sounds good you guys?" Abbey asks. Zoey tips her head up to look at her mother and smiles.

"I want Strawberry," She declares.

"Okay, Aurora what about you?"

"What's an...Orr...Oreo?" Aurora asks, pointing to the flavor directly in front of her.

"It's a chocolate cookie sandwich with vanilla cream in the middle."

"Ohhh..." Aurora says looking back at the flavors, "I think I want that one."

"Do you want to try a sample first?" Laura suggests. Aurora nods, her eyes still scanning over the flavors. One of the servers dips a small spoon into the large bucket of ice cream before handing it over to Laura. Aurora takes the small spoon and pops it into her mouth, letting the flavor melt over her tongue.

"Mmmm yeah that one."

"What about you two monsters?" Laura asks as she squats down next to the boys.

"I don't know..." Alex says.

"We can try something."

"Blue," Liam requests pointing to the bucket of blue cotton candy ice cream. Laura hands him the procured sample before looking at Alex.

"How about that one?" Alex says, pointing to one with multi colored specks in it.

"Sure," Laura nods and smiles, handing him a sample after a moment. She looks over at Liam, "You want more of that one?"

"Mmhm!" Liam nods, "It's got yummy fluffy things in it."

"It does?" Laura says, feigning surprise. She takes the spoon from Liam and discards it before Alex hands his over, "Was yours good?"

"Yeah, it's good," Alex smiles.

"Alright, so it sounds like we've got Strawberry, Oreo, Cotton Candy, and Fruity Pebbles," Abbey orders. The two servers load all of their orders on to cones before handing them over. Laura hands the boys their cones, warning them to be careful as she grabs a couple extra napkins, knowing they would make a mess. Abbey takes care of their bill before they head out of the restaurant, "How about we get a little exercise in and take a stroll?"

"Sounds great to me," Laura smiles.

"Zo do you want to lead us to...the National Gallery, hmm?" Abbey suggests. Zoey nods as she continues to lick at her ice cream, looking around a moment before starting to walk. Aurora and the boys follow her and Laura and Abbey bring up the rear as they walk.

"Hopefully my husband wasn't too hard on you today?" Abbey asks as they walk.

"No," Laura shakes her head, "He wasn't. He's been great, very helpful. It's just a lot, reliving the last four years, thinking about all of it again…"

"I'm sure," Abbey sympathizes, "He has a plan? I mean I know he has a plan, but…"

"He does. Apparently there were contingencies in place. I'd expect things should be mostly settled in a month at the most."

"Do you know what you want to do after?"

"Rest," Laura smiles, "I just want to get the kids into a good school and find a quiet place to lay our heads at night."

"Sounds like a good plan," Abbey smiles, looking both ways before they cross the street to the National Mall and make their way towards the gallery. The six of them spend the afternoon going through a couple museums on the Mall before wandering the outside, Abbey and Zoey pointing out some of the monuments.

"There's so much history here," Laura says as they walk to meet the motorcade.

"It is quite the place," Abbey smiles.

"You've done a lot with a few thousand years," Laura jokes. Abbey laughs and nods, thanking the agent that opens the limo door for them. The kids pile in before the two women, yawning as they settle into the back seat, tuckered out from a day of walking. When they get back to the White House they meet Bill at the front door, having just gotten back himself.

"Daddy!" Aurora says, running across the lobby and launching herself into her father's arms.

"Hi, butterfly," Bill says as he sweeps her into his arms, stumbling a bit as the boys latch onto his legs. Laura smiles as she watches them, making her way over to Bill and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"Hi, honey."

"Hey," Bill smiles, setting Aurora down before giving the boys each a hug, "How was your day?"

"Good," Laura nods, "Yours?"

"Good," Bill nods, "You wanna talk?"

"We probably should. Do you want to get the others?" Laura says, running her fingers through Liam's hair as he stands between them.

"Yeah I can call them. Can you find us a room?"

"Mmhm," Laura nods, pressing a kiss to his cheek before turning to Abbey, "There wouldn't be a conference room or something that we could use for a little while?"

"Yeah of course," Abbey nods, looking at her watch, "The Roosevelt Room should be open. I can take you guys over there."

"Thank you," Laura says, following Abbey through the hallways, watching quietly as people stand as she passes. Aurora holds onto Bill's arm as they walk, telling him excitedly about her day at school and the book that she had gotten.

"It sounds like you had a great day," Bill smiles, wrapping his arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"I did. I like it here."

"I'm glad," Bill says, squeezing her before their directed into a room with a large table in the middle, chairs spread out around the edges, "This is perfect, thank you."

"No problem," Abbey smiles, "Anything else you need?"

"I don't think so," Laura says, hanging up her coat, "Thank you, Abbey."

"Yell if you need anything," Abbey says before guiding Zoey out of the room. Bill picks up the phone and asks to be connected with Lee, before telling his son where to meet them.

"What did you find out today?" Bill asks as he hangs up the phone.

"There's going to be a press conference tomorrow," Laura says, "A prime minister is coming in a couple days, there's going to be a dinner this weekend and there's a council meeting to help us get settled. I assume Fitzwallace talked to you today about getting people on the surface?"

"Yeah," Bill nods, taking a seat at the table and undoing the top button on his tunic.

"You have a plan?"

"I think so, let's go over it with the kids and see where we're at. When do you want to bring in the Quorum?"

"Let's talk for a little while and then we can go out to the base…radio back to Galactica," Laura suggests.

"Sounds like a plan," Bill says, looking over as one of the doors open and Lee, Kara, and Zak filter in. Kara and Zak both salute before taking seats at the table after greeting their siblings.

"Let's figure out our next steps."

* * *

[TBC]


	6. Chapter 6

**Note:** This chapter puts me over 100,000 words for this series. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck around this long and has enjoyed what I've brought to the table with this fic! We're not done yet, so please keep reading and reviewing!

* * *

Laura stands quietly next to Bill off to the side of the stage observing the reporters in the room, furiously taking notes and recording, cameras clicking away in the background. Her palms were sweating as she viewed the crowd. She had participated in many large press conferences during her time as part of the government on Caprica and she had stood in front of crowds of hundreds, speaking on live tv. Yet as she stood in front of this crowd, Laura had never felt more terrified.

"...Ladies and Gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you, President of the Twelve Colonies, Laura Roslin," Jed says, stepping away from the podium and holding a hand out to Laura. Bill squeezes her hand in support as she takes a deep breath, painting a smile on her face before she steps up to the podium. She puts the portfolio she had been holding onto the ledge and opens it up, scanning the words she had written out multiple times the night before.

"Thank you, President Bartlet, for that warm introduction," Laura says, offering a smile in Jed's direction before orienting herself in her speech, " _Life here, began out there_. Most of us from the Twelve Colonies grew up hearing these words. A reminder of where we had come from, of the time that we had lived with the Gods on Kobol. But thousands of years ago, we left. We embarked for the stars, intent on starting a new life. Twelve tribes of us left and claimed our spots over twelve planets, twelve new homes. We grew, we thrived, life went on.

"Yet, there was a thirteenth. The thirteenth tribe left intending on finding a new home. On starting over, and creating a new life. Intent on breaking the cycle. They came here, they left all of the bells and whistles behind…and they integrated. They made this place their home, they made each and every one of you. They instilled so many values and ideas. But they always knew…they always knew we would come back. That we would come home.

" _All of this has happened before and will happen again_. It's another phrase we're no stranger to. We've uttered it many times over the last four years as we were once again driven from our homes, as we paid a price in blood…for not being better, for hurting each other, for thinking that we were above others. We were a people of over twelve billion…and we've dwindled down to thirty thousand, only twice as large as the original thirteenth tribe was told to be.

"We've come many miles in the last four years. We are tired. We are broken. We are lifting our hands up in hopes that someone will pull us into the light. In the last three days…I have begun to see a light I haven't seen since the last time I sat on a balcony and watched Geminon rise over the horizon, bathing the Caprican night sky in reds and violets…glistening just beyond reach. President Bartlet and the Council of Kobol have brought that light back," Laura swallows as she takes a breath, her eyes scanning over the crowd before looking back down at her notes, "If there is one thing that has stuck with me from my brief time here…it's an inscription on a plaque, inside a statue that, as I have come to learn, has lit the way for many a weary soul.

"The second part of the inscription reads - _Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp cries she with silent lips. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door._

"We are tired, we are yearning to breathe free, we are homeless…and we are hoping that our brothers and sisters have not forgotten us," Laura finishes quietly, her voice thick. She closes the portfolio in front of her and lets out a soft breath before stepping back and letting CJ take her place.

"There is going to be half an hour for the Presidents to take questions, if you just give us a moment to reset the stage," CJ tells the press, surprised at their relative silence, a heavy murmur floating through the room as they look at each other. Bill reaches out and takes the portfolio from Laura, their fingers brushing briefly.

"You did great," Bill says.

"I've only ever had to sell myself, Adar's administration, I've never had to sell our entire civilization…" Laura says softly as the stage gets reset with two podiums.

"You did _great_ ," Bill reiterates, catching her eyes.

"So say we all."

"So say we all," Bill smiles. Laura looks back at the room for a moment before looking at her husband and arching her eyebrows, "Go."

Laura steps away from Bill before backtracking and taking her portfolio. He grins and winks at her as she shakes her head. She makes her way back up onto the stage and takes her place at her podium bracing her hands against the edge as they finish wiring it.

"How am I supposed to answer questions?" Laura asks CJ, "I have no idea who any of these people are."

"The President will call on people, their questions can then be directed to you or him," CJ explains, "Half an hour. That's all you have to do today."

"Right," Laura nods, taking a bracing breath.

"You'll do fine," CJ assures her with a smile before stepping off the stage. Laura watches as the reporters bounce to their feet, finally starting to show some life as Jed walks back on stage, immediately trying to get his attention for questions.

"Bill," Jed calls after taking a sip of water.

"Mister President, how long have you known about the aliens?"

"They're hardly aliens, Bill…they're more like cousins," Jed says as he looks over at Laura with an amused smile, "But to answer your question, since day one of the presidency. It's one of the first items that is covered after the inauguration."

"Did any other White House staff know?"

"No, this was a very special security clearance," Jed shakes his head, pointing to another person on the other side of the room, "Sarah."

"Madame President, how can you be certain that your presence here won't simply be a burden on our world?"

"We have no intention on being a burden," Laura says, "We come not only offering advancements in technology but people who know how to use them. We're educated. We're ready to pitch in. We have no problem earning our place at the table."

"Nathan," Jed points to the back of the room.

"When will we know more about settlement plans?"

"President Roslin and I will be meeting with the rest of the Council over the weekend, plans will be shared as we agree on them," Jed answers. The two of them continue to answer questions for the next half hour before CJ steps forward and taps Jed on the shoulder to motion that it was time for their last question, "Okay, last question, Daniel."

"President Roslin, how many children are in your fleet?"

"Based on fleet census' we estimate that approximately 74 to 7500 of our fleet are under the age of 18. Of those approximately half are under the age of ten," Laura answers, removing her glasses and folding them in front of her, "Three of them are my own. No matter the trials we have faced over the last four years, our children have been educated, they have been cared for, and they have been loved. We recognized early that our children were quite literally our future."

"That will be all for questions today everyone, another briefing will be held later this afternoon and as President Bartlet mentioned as the Council meets over the weekend information will be released as it is confirmed," CJ says as she wraps up the press conference. Laura closes her portfolio and steps off the stage with Jed, holding her hand out to Bill as they head down the hallway. He squeezes her hand and lifts it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"You did great."

"Thank you," Laura smiles, squeezing his hand back softly. Jed turns to her as they move to pass the Oval Office.

"I have a few meetings that I need to attend to. The Prime Minister should be getting here later this evening," He tells her, "You know your way around I assume?"

"I think we do," Laura smiles, "I will see you later this evening, Mister President."

"Until later, Madame President. And good work today."

"You as well, sir," Laura nods before walking with Bill and two secret service agents up to the residence.

"Mama! We saw you on TV!" Liam yells when he sees them, running over from his spot on the couch next to Lee and Alex.

"You did?" Laura smiles, sweeping him up onto her hip, "How did I look?"

"Very pretty," Liam smiles. Laura smiles and presses a kiss to his cheek before taking a seat on the couch across from Lee.

"You did a great job, Laura."

"Thank you, Lee. It was…nerve wracking to say the least," She laughs softly as Liam sits with his back against her chest. She wraps her arms around him and holds him close, "I feel like this whole weekend is going to be nerve wracking."

"You'll do fine," Lee assures her. Bill ruffles Alex's hair as he stands behind the couch, looking across at Laura.

"I need to get down to the base and meet up with Zak and Kara. I might need to go back to Galactica, but I won't be longer than a few hours."

"Stay safe," Laura says, holding her hand out to him. Bill walks around to the other couch and leans down, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Laura murmurs as she strokes Bill's cheek. He presses a kiss to Liam's head before heading back downstairs. Laura sighs as she squeezes Liam a little more, turning her wrist to check her watch, "Lee, do you mind keeping an eye on them a little longer? I'm supposed to take Aurora to an eye appointment."

"Yeah of course."

"You're gonna go again?" Alex says, leaning against his brother's shoulder.

"Just for a little bit, baby. I have to take your sister to an appointment and then we'll be home."

"Okay," Alex sighs, looking down.

"When I get back the four of us can snuggle up and watch a movie okay?" Laura suggests, nudging Liam down off her lap before standing up. Alex nods, a small smile spreading across his lips. Laura smiles back and presses a kiss to his head, running her fingers through his hair, "Good. Lee. I should only be a couple hours."

"It's fine," Lee assures her before waving her off. Laura makes her way downstairs, meeting a car at one of the private exits before climbing into the back. She closes her eyes as the car drives along to the school, her head snapping up when they stop. She climbs out and makes her way into the office, smiling when she sees Aurora waiting to be picked up, chatting with the secretary. She looks over when she hears the door opening hopping up from her seat when she sees her mother. She grabs her bag and waves to the secretary before walking over and wrapping her arms around Laura's waist.

"Hi Mama."

"Hi sweetness," Laura says as she wraps an arm around Aurora before leading her back out to the car that was waiting for them, "How was your day?"

"It was good. I like this place."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhm. Can I go here when we move here permanently?"

"We'll see. Maybe we can work something out," Laura says as she opens the back door and lets Aurora in before getting in herself. They make their way across town to the optometrist that Abbey had suggested to them the day before. Laura sits with Aurora through her appointment, watching as her daughter picks between slides before the doctor gazes into her bright green orbs.

"She actually doesn't need too much of a correction, but it should definitely help with any headaches she's been having," The doctor says as he types everything into the computer, "It's simple enough that if you wanted to pick out a pair of frames today we could have them ready to go in about an hour or so."

"That would be great," Laura says.

"Go ahead and head out to the show room, one of our assistants will meet you out there," The doctor says with a smile, "It was a pleasure to meet you two."

"Thank you," Laura says, shaking his hand before guiding Aurora out to the show room. She shows her over to where the kids glasses are, helping her pick out a few pairs to try on. The assistant helps Aurora try them on in the mirror, telling her and Laura what they could shape to fit her, before Aurora tries on the last pair and grins as she looks in the mirror.

"I like these," She says as she turns to look at Laura. She had picked a pair of purple, thin framed, wayfarer style glasses. The purple played well against her green eyes and tan skin and the shape complimented her face well. Laura was struck by how much older she seemed with the frames on. She reaches out and tucks some of her hair behind her ear as she cups her chin in her hand.

"You like those?"

"Mmhm," Aurora nods, turning back around to look in the mirror again to double check, "They're perfect."

* * *

[TBC]


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes:** So I will wholeheartedly admit that I am a terrible person for leaving you guys in the lurch for so long. I got way too into the groove of writing Shandy fanfic for Major Crimes and out of the BSG groove. Luckily some tumblr-spiration has come my way in the last few days so I thought I would get a chapter out to you guys and apologize for my absence! Currently I am only writing one other fic so I am hoping that I can rotate back to this more frequently and at least get a chapter out each week.

I hope you're still with me, and if you are please leave me a review!

* * *

Laura takes a deep inhale of the cigar in her mouth as she sits on a stack of shipping containers, watching as their ships are guided down to land at Nellis Air Force Base. She'd been on hand constantly for the last few days and had finally managed to get away for a moment alone.

Galactica had been landed first, and it had been a relief to get back to the few possessions they did have. She couldn't pinpoint why she had felt so anxious around the Terrans. They were helping them, welcoming them, making sure they survived. But until Galactica landed, it persisted. She finally felt the hand around her heart unclench as she sank down onto the brown leather couch in their quarters. She had left the kids to play with friends they hadn't seen in a while and after being bombarded with questions from her own people, retreated to the top of the shipping containers.

Laura turns her head as she hears a shuffling behind her, a smile breaking out across her face when she sees Mona climb up on the container. The blonde makes her way down and sits on the edge next to Laura, taking the cigar from her with a smile.

"Good to know you're still alive."

"They've been taking good care of us," Laura says as she swings her legs, "Have you been processed?"

"Yep," Mona holds up her fingers, revealing discolored fingertips, "Wasn't too bad, just asked some questions, took some fingerprints, little finger stick. Officially a C-Terran."

"C-Terran?" Laura asks.

"That's what they've been calling people who have been processed," Mona says, handing the cigar back, "Colonial Terrans."

"How are they taking it?" Laura asks.

"Most people are doing well, there's push backs from some, mostly Saggitarons and Geminese."

"It was expected," Laura says with a sigh as a breeze comes along and blows her hair out of her face, "Fresh air…"

"I missed it," Mona says, "Even though New Caprica was a shit hole it had fresh air."

"Mmm," Laura agrees, thinking back to the cold rock they had settled on for the better part of a year. The two sit in silence for a while before Laura flicks the butt of the cigar, "There's an event tomorrow night. A State Dinner. I want you to come."

"A State Dinner?"

"It's supposed to be like the balls we had, like Colonial Day," Laura says, "I'll send some one over to get you, probably early afternoon."

"Okay," Mona nods, "I don't have anything to wear."

"I'll take care of that, I just need you to bring yourself," Laura says, waving at Bill as he walks up to the containers, looking up at the two of them with a smile.

"What are you two trouble makers doing up there?" Bill calls up.

"Making trouble," Laura calls back with a playful smile. She looks at the watch on her wrist before sighing and looking over at Mona, "We have to get back. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You'll see me tomorrow," Mona nods. Laura hugs her tight before looking down at bill and arching her eyebrow.

"Would you catch me if I fell?"

"Didn't I mention that in our wedding vows?" Bill arches his eyebrow.

"I don't think you did," Laura says before pushing herself off the edge of the container, dropping the few feet into Bill's arms with a small yell. She laughs as he lets out an 'oof' before setting her gently on the ground.

"I think I'm getting too old for that," Bill says. Laura laughs softly and presses a kiss to his lips.

"I'm not," She murmurs before kissing him again, "Let's go find the kids."

"Yes, ma'am," Bill says, wrapping an arm around hers before they go in search of the kids. They find them playing with a group, playing Pyramid in a hand drawn court. Laura stops Bill, taking a moment to watch them run around. They watch as Aurora heaves the ball across the court before running to the other point to take it back and throw it into the goal.

"We can't forget this," Laura says, looking around them at everyone milling around, still living a Colonial life in their camp, "We can't forget who we are."

"We won't," Bill says before calling out for the kids. The three of them look over at their parents before saying their goodbyes and running over. Bill sweeps up both of the boys, hugging them before setting them down as the three of them pant from their activities.

"Ror, where are your glasses?" Laura asks as she brushes sweaty black hair back from her daughter's face.

"Oh, I left them at home," Aurora says, referring to their quarters on Galactica, "Will you come with me to get them?"

"Yeah," Laura nods before turning to Bill, "Why don't you take them to the car and we'll be right there?"

"Sure," Bill nods before swinging Alex up onto his shoulders and holding his hand out to Liam. Laura walks back to Galactica with Aurora, the two of them making their way through the familiar halls to their old quarters. They were keeping most of their possessions on board until they figured out what was next and found a place to live. Aurora grabs her purple glasses off the top of a book and unfolds them before pushing them onto her face. Laura notices the book they had been laying on top of and picks it up.

"Where did this come from?" Laura asks, showing it to Aurora. The cover read _Music of the Colonies_ and showed a pictures of the Caprican Philarmonic on it.

"Uh…" Aurora thinks as she looks at the book, "I think Kara, maybe…I don't know. It's been around a while, why?"

"Just curious," Laura says, looking at the book for another moment before tucking it under her arm and directing Aurora out of the room, "Come on, let's go."

The two of them make their way to the car that was waiting for them, getting into the back seat. Laura buckles her seatbelt and shows the book to Bill, "Check this out."

" _Music of the Colonies_ , hmm, where did you find this?" Bill asks as he flips the cover open and flips through the pages. There were certain breaks of text but most of the pages were sheet music.

"It was in our room, Ror said she thinks it might be from Kara," Laura says, "I thought maybe if there was a band tomorrow night we could give this to them…"

"Yeah," Bill shrugs, continuing to flip through the pages. He stops about halfway through the book and folds the cover back, showing it to his wife, "Look familiar?"

"Maybe if I read music," Laura says with a smile taking the book. She reads the small blurb at the beginning of the music before her eyes widen in remembrance, almost hearing the tune play out in her head as her eyes scan over the notes, taking in the ups and downs of their markings. It was an old Aerilonian folk song that Laura had grown up listening to her mother play for her and her sisters. The first time she had danced with Bill to it was at a concert they had gone to on the Riverwalk during one of his shore leaves. By the time they stopped her eyes were a little more than misty and her heart was galloping along at a breakneck pace, "It's what we danced to at our wedding…"

"Been a while since I've heard that one," Bill comments as he wraps an arm around her shoulder.

"Me too," Laura agrees, turning down the corner of the page to bookmark it. She turns her head and presses a kiss to Bill's cheek as she closes the book in her lap, "I love you."

"I love you too," Bill replies, pressing a kiss to her lips before pulling back with a chuckle as all three of the kids start making playful vomiting sounds, "I think they find us gross."

"Too bad, I don't," Laura says as she kisses her husband again, lingering for a moment before pulling away.

The next evening after getting ready for the State Dinner Laura gets the kids tucked into bed and presses kisses to their foreheads, reminding them that they were just going to be downstairs and Marcus was outside their room if they needed anything. She shuts the door behind herself before making her way to the small reception they were having upstairs before they made their way down.

Laura lingers in the doorway for a moment, scanning the room for Bill. She spots him talking to Zak and someone else she didn't know, or didn't remember their name. Both of them were in their dress grey and looking dashing.

Bill looks past his son as he notices her, swallowing as his blue eyes darken. The dress she was wearing was reminiscent of the first Colonial Day they had gone to together. It was a white strapless silk ballgown that hugged her form, and she had her sash clipped around her waist. Her hair tumbled past her shoulders with her natural curl, a couple pieces clipped back, and a smile spreads across her lips as she catches his eye, making her way over.

"Hi," Laura says, pressing a kiss to Zak's cheek before Bill's.

"Hi, kids go down okay?"

"Mmhm," Laura smiles with a nod. They mingle for a while longer before the room begins to clear out as people are taken to their seats. She takes Bill's arm as they make their way over to the staircase, using her other hand to hold onto the railing.

"Zak was telling me that there's going to be a celebration down at the base later tonight," Bill murmurs, "If you'd be interested."

"What about the kids?"

"Marcus can stay with them for a little bit. Hour at the most."

"Okay," Laura nods as they get closer to the bottom of the stairs, hearing the music and clicks of cameras filtering up. She paints a smile on her face as they make their last turn and come into the view of the public. Her eyes dart through the crowd as they stand for pictures before moving off to the side, standing next to the President and First Lady.

"I think this is going to be a lovely evening, Mr. Adama. Don't you?" Laura asks with an impish smile as they make their way down the hall towards the ballroom.

"I whole heartedly agree, Mrs. Adama," Bill smiles.

* * *

[TBC]

 **EndNote:** The song mentioned part way through this chapter is "Roslin and Adama" from the BSG soundtrack and is always good for a little teary eyed moment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Note:** Sorry for the short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Laura smiles at Bill as he spins her around the dance floor to a jaunty Caprican number, their bodies moving in perfect sync with each other. She laughs as he spins her out and around a few times before the song draws to a close.

"I need another drink if we're going to keep going," She says as they stop. Bill walks her over to the bar set up in the corner, ordering them both a drink as he keeps a hand on her waist. He hands her a glass a moment later and presses a kiss to her temple before stepping off to the side with her.

"You're having a good time?" He asks as she takes a sip of her wine. Laura nods with a wide smile as she pulls the glass away from her lips.

"It's been lovely," She remarks, her eyes skimming around the room with a shimmer in them, "I think I vaguely remember commanding for more dancing on battlestars."

"Mmm, some bossy pregnant lady. Kept telling everyone she was the president," Bill grins. Laura scoffs and hits him in the chest playfully, "You're right, we should have danced more."

"We had plenty of other things to worry about over the years," Laura says as she takes another drink, "I've been thinking about after. There's offers, already. They want you to stay on here, help with the new technology. I've got offers from universities and colleges to teach. Aurora wants to stay here she likes the school and she can be near Zoey, but the Bartlet's aren't going to be around forever, at least not here. What do you think we should do?"

"I'd say we've earned our retirement," Bill shrugs, "I've seen the toll this has taken on you, has taken on them."

"There's a cabin, about an hour outside of the city in a place called Harpers Ferry. It's in the woods and backs up to the river," Laura tells him, "It's a five bedroom, two bath…the pictures were gorgeous. I don't know if we'd be able to do anything like that, but it's close enough to town if we did want to…or we could go somewhere else entirely. We have an entire world to explore."

"I think that sounds like a great start," Bill smiles. Laura smiles back before finishing her wine and setting the glass down. Bill sets his own glass down next to hers before leading her out to the dance floor again as a familiar tune spreads across the strings of the band. She shakes her head as she immediately feels her eyes tear up. She steps closer to him as his arm wraps around her waist, dropping her head to his shoulder as she hugs him close. She breathes in his scent and swears she can feel a warm summer breeze across her back, birds chirping in the distance. Bill closes his eyes and rests his cheek against the top of her head as he holds their hands over his heart, swaying her gently across the floor.

"I was so afraid to love you," Laura whispers low enough that he could hear her, but that her voice couldn't be heard outside of their bubble, "When my family died…I couldn't imagine ever loving anything ever again. But you wormed your way in, I had forgotten what it was like to be truly happy. You know why I like this song?"

"Why?"

"It's us…" Laura murmurs.

"It is," Bill agrees. The two of them finish the song before Bill steps back. He cups her face in his hands and presses a kiss to her forehead. She takes a deep breath and lets it out before looking up and smiling at him. The two of them make their rounds, excusing themselves from the party before heading out to a waiting car. Laura holds onto Bill's hand as they watch the passing lights before they pull into the airstrip. She thanks the officer that helps her out of the car before waiting for Bill and following him towards the festivities they could hear.

The two of them easily make their way through the crowd, stopping off for a drink before they get closer to the music and find many people dancing. Laura smiles as she watches Zak spin Kara around the floor at a fast pace before his wife begs mercy and pulls away from his grip, a breathless smile on her face as she steps off the floor. Zak rolls his eyes before starting to dance with Dee, sticking his tongue out at Kara. The blonde shakes her head and looks around, her eyes widening when she sees Laura and Bill before sprinting over.

"You made it!"

"We did," Laura smiles as she hugs Kara before Bill, "You look like you guys are having fun."

"What's not to celebrate?" Kara smiles, showing off stained fingers. Everyone had been processed and accounted for, and after a simple quarantine period actual settling would begin.

"You know if they're letting people like her in here…" Bill shakes his head, "Maybe we should keep going."

"Oh shut it, Old Man," Kara says before punching Bill in the arm.

"Ow!" Bill exclaims, grabbing his arm.

"Wimp," Kara smiles before turning to find Zak, waving him over. Zak excuses himself from the dance floor before bounding over to the family. He hugs Laura and presses a kiss to her cheek before clapping his dad on the shoulder.

"So, we have some news…"

"I'm pregnant!" Kara blurts out with a grin.

"Kara's pregnant," Zak laughs and reaches his hand back to rub the back of his neck as he wraps an arm around the blonde's waist.

"I…that's great!" Laura says after a moment, wrapping both of them in a hug again, "When did you…?"

"Yesterday, actually, when they did my blood tests," Kara says after she steps back, "One of the doctors took a look over me earlier and said everything looks great."

"That's wonderful," Laura smiles, looking up at her husband who was still gaping like a fish, "He…seems to do this when people announce they're pregnant, I thought it was just me. Bill, honey…"

"Hmm?" Bill asks as he snaps out of his reverie.

"Do you maybe want to…" Laura nods her head towards the kids.

"Oh!" Bill says before hugging each of the kids and offering his congratulations, "This is great news."

"When did they say you were due?" Laura asks as she wraps an arm around Bill's waist.

"Early spring," Kara says, "I have the paperwork back at our tent that has a more precise day, but all I remember right now is that it was spring."

"That will be great," Laura smiles. Lee comes over and grabs Zak and Kara's hands, pulling them back towards the dance floor.

"Less talking, more dancing."

"He's had a bit to drink tonight," Kara says with a laugh as she grabs Laura's hand while Zak grabs Bill's pulling them both onto the dance floor with them. Laura laughs as they're pulled into the dance, holding onto Bill's hand as they move through the circle. She looks up as she hears thunder rumble across the sky, lightning flashing along with it before the skies open up and it starts to rain. For a moment everyone pauses before cheering on the drops as they pound down against the earth. It had been so long since they had felt rain against their skin that the warm drizzle was welcome and felt like a cleanse, bringing about the beginning of their new lives.

Laura smiles at Bill as her curls become saturated with water and begin to cling to her face, his wool grays darkening along side them. She keeps his hand clasped in hers as they dance before he spins her around and presses his lips to hers.

"I love the taste of you with water," He murmurs against her mouth, his salt and peppered hair drooping against his forehead in ringlets. Laura laughs and tangles her fingers in his wet locks, pulling him closer with a hungry kiss.

* * *

[TBC]


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes:** So remember that one time I said I was going to dedicate more time to this fic? Unfortunately I didn't. I really appreciate everyone that has come along on this four story ride and thought I would leave you with a little epilogue in return for all of your comments and views. Enjoy!

* * *

Laura grins as tiny fingers curl around her bigger one, their owner letting out a large yawn. She presses her lips to the baby soft skin and smiles wider as she looks into deep blue eyes.

"That's quite a big yawn, Mister Jove," Laura tells the baby before brushing her fingers over his light brown hair. She looks up when she hears a large splash, waiting a beat before high pitched laughter rings out and Aurora bobs up from her cannonball into the river. After they had moved into the cabin Laura had mentioned almost a year before, they had installed a gate system around a section of the river for the kids to have a place to swim without fear of them getting swept away. A small dock was also added in imitation of Laura's cabin on Caprica.

The boys line up on the edge of the dock and wait for Aurora to swim out of the way before jumping in themselves. It was almost time for them to go back to school, Laura had a large stack of books on her desk that needed to be gone over. She had taken a part time job at Georgetown teaching Colonial Literature. Her class for the fall semester was full and had a wait list of about a hundred. People couldn't wait to take a class taught by an 'alien'. She hoped most of the people there were ready to learn and weren't there just for the thrill.

But books were for another time. She and Bill had all three of their kids at home for the day and Zak and Kara had asked for them to babysit Jove for the afternoon. The weather was perfect and she'd been swinging in the hammock with the baby for just about an hour. She looks up with a smile as a bottle appears in front of her face before she takes it and gives it to the baby. Bill carefully sinks in across from her and pushes off on the ground so they were swinging a bit more.

"Are you ever going to let me hold him?"

"Oh not a chance," Laura laughs and grins at him with a shake of her head before winking at him to tell him she was teasing, "You can have him after his bottle, he'll probably fall asleep."

"Okay," Bill nods in agreement with a small smile. He watches her feed the baby for a few moments, the noise of the kids splashing in the background mixed with the breeze blowing through the leaves created an almost perfect moment. Laura notices the pensive look on his face as he watches her.

"What?" She asks, tilting her head as she looks back at him.

"It's been eleven years…regret going into that bookstore yet?"

"Never," Laura shakes her head and gives her husband a wide smile. It had been a wild ride during the eleven years since they had met each other in the book store, but Laura wouldn't take a moment of it back.

* * *

[End]


End file.
